sunroof leak...adjustment?

[vwbuge1]

When I bought my 2000 Outback wagon I noticed the rear sunroof shade was not functioning properly. You could not pull back the shade by hand with the sunroof closed. It would slide open with the sunroof but would make awful grinding noises as it opened. I also noticed water in the hatch area when it rained. I took down the headliner and investigated.

 

The drains were functioning properly. With the roof open I could pour water into the channel and the water would flow down the drain tubes. With the sunroof closed, the water would leak inside the car and flow on the rail adjacent to the sunroof rain gutter. With the sunroof closed, I noticed a huge gap around the sides of the sunroof but and even bigger one the entire way across the rear. So big that from inside the car I can see daylight. I have since removed the sliding shade from the car as it was broken on one side.

 

How hard is it to install a new seal around the sunroof? Can the sunroof be adjusted to close properly?

 

I am thinking if I can install a new seal and adjust the sunroof to close properly I can get it to stop leaking. I now have duct tape around all the joints to stop the water.

 

Help, I want my sunroof back.

 

Thanks,

Paul

[gbhrps]

Paul,

I've had some experience with sunroof leaks and alignment of the sunroof panels on several cars and trucks in the last few years, including an 02 OBW LTD.

 

First let me suggest that because the sunroof panels are glued (much like your windshield) to a metal frame into which the outer seal has been sandwiched, you may not be able to replace it without breaking the glass. Your best option, if the seal needs replacing, may be to buy a complete sunroof from a wreck. Are you certain that you have a bad seal?

 

I would wonder if you have an alignment problem of the sunroof to the roof cutout instead. If so there are 3 causes. One will be due to a stripping or skipping of the rear panel on the gear tracks on both sides. This means broken plastic slide components that require the entire sunroof to removed for repairs to be made.

 

Another could be that when your rear panel is completely forward, in its closed position, it needs to be moved slightly rearward for the seal to do its proper job. This may be able to be accomplished in two ways. One is to loosen all of the 10 mm bolts that fasten the entire sunroof mechanism to the steel roof supports and slide the entire unit slightly rearward before retightening the bolts.

 

The second, and the one I reccommend, is to loosen the four bolts/screws that secure the glass panel to the slide mechanism on both sides of the car and slide the panel itself rearward until the seal does its job, and then retighten the screws/bolts. The holes that these screws/bolts go through are large and allow for some movement when aligning the glass to the opening.

 

So it comes down to either an alignment issue which you have some leeway on correcting, without any expense other than your time, or a complete removal of the entire assembly from the car, at which point you can see exactly what needs replacing.

 

If the unit needs to come out of the car, after repairs are made, ensure that the sunroof is it its fully closed position before you try putting it back into the car. Using a separate 12 volt power source and your sunroof switch and harness, its fairly easy to check everything out on the workbench. You'll even be able to fix your sunshade problem as well.

 

Do a road test for wind noise and a water test before you reinstall the headliner. Good Luck!